Is Censorship Unfair on This Forum?

[Moonbear]

I received an infraction once and i was as sober as the day is long. It was great.

Just once? I would have placed bets you had more back in the days when you and Franz (and others) would stay up all night plotting world domination.

I wish I'd have known this at the time I got my infraction... I'm not saying Russ was wrong, but I assumed that if I got an infraction, it was done and couldn't be changed. Ah well.

And, as you then also know, getting an infraction doesn't inevitably lead to a ban, or anything else dire as long as you're made aware of the rules and adhere to them from then onward. And, really, not saying anything also is usually interpreted that you're okay and understood the problem. Most of the infractions expire, so if someone makes a misstep here and there, it's really not going to add up to anything.

It's those who pitch a fit who quickly enter that death spiral. I always wish I could send those who scream about first amendment rights back to school to learn that those apply to government actions, not websites owned by private citizens. If they want to exercise their first amendment rights, they are perfectly welcome to host their own website.

 

[Pengwuino]

Just once? I would have placed bets you had more back in the days when you and Franz (and others) would stay up all night plotting world domination.

And amazingly it was for name calling against Cyrus! I mean come on, who DOESN'T trash talk Cyrus?

 

[Char. Limit]

And, as you then also know, getting an infraction doesn't inevitably lead to a ban, or anything else dire as long as you're made aware of the rules and adhere to them from then onward. And, really, not saying anything also is usually interpreted that you're okay and understood the problem. Most of the infractions expire, so if someone makes a misstep here and there, it's really not going to add up to anything.

It's those who pitch a fit who quickly enter that death spiral. I always wish I could send those who scream about first amendment rights back to school to learn that those apply to government actions, not websites owned by private citizens. If they want to exercise their first amendment rights, they are perfectly welcome to host their own website.

I know what you mean... Even more annoying since I recently took a government class, and a similar question was asked ("Is censorship in a privately owned company legal?"). It was one of the most missed questions in that test. I didn't miss it.

Really, though, I'm satisfied with the job the mods do. There's only one thing I'd wish they change...

How serious are the number of points in an infraction? Is 1-4 minor, 5-7 medium, and 8-10 major? How does that work out? In other words, how do you decide how many points to hand out?

 

[Kurdt]

The points are all preset for the various infractions. There is the option to create custom infractions for situations that are not common. 8 points gains you a 10 day ban, if you reach 10 points, you're out.

 

[Pattonias]

Being as yall are kind of explaining it here, could one of the Mentors make a sticky that explains how the point system and banning works?

I have always kind of wondered about the process and it seems that questions about it pop up fairly regularly.

 

[Doc Al]

Being as yall are kind of explaining it here, could one of the Mentors make a sticky that explains how the point system and banning works?

See the "Rules" (Physics Forums Global Guidelines), which are linked at the top of every page. In particular, the section titled "Disciplinary Action":

Disciplinary Action:
A member may be issued either a warning or an infraction if deemed warranted by an admin or mentor (usually from guideline noncompliance). Infractions range from 1 to 10 "points", depending on the severity of the violation; warnings carry no points. If a member accrues 8 or more infraction points, he or she will be automatically banned from Physics Forums for a period of 10 days. If a member receives any infraction after having returned from a temporary ban, that member will then be banned permanently. Obvious, incorrigible spamming or trouble making will be met with a permanent ban.

 

[George Jones]

Being as yall are kind of explaining it here, could one of the Mentors make a sticky that explains how the point system and banning works?

I have always kind of wondered about the process and it seems that questions about it pop up fairly regularly.

From the rules (linked just under Physics Forums Logo)

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=5374

to which everyone agrees when they register:

Disciplinary Action: A member may be issued either a warning or an infraction if deemed warranted by an admin or mentor (usually from guideline noncompliance). Infractions range from 1 to 10 "points", depending on the severity of the violation; warnings carry no points. If a member accrues 8 or more infraction points, he or she will be automatically banned from Physics Forums for a period of 10 days. If a member receives any infraction after having returned from a temporary ban, that member will then be banned permanently. Obvious, incorrigible spamming or trouble making will be met with a permanent ban.

[EDIT]Doc beat me![/EDIT]

 

[Pattonias]

From the rules (linked just under Physics Forums Logo)

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=5374

to which everyone agrees when they register:

Ah, I missed it when I skimmed back over the rules before posting. I was trying to avoid looking foolish by double checking, but alas - I have failed.

 

[Evo]

Also, sub forums may have additional rules. You must read the forum specific guidelines that apply to each forum before you post there. P&WA has an addititional 3 day ban which can be used.

 

[russ_watters]

I wish I'd have known this at the time I got my infraction... I'm not saying Russ was wrong, but I assumed that if I got an infraction, it was done and couldn't be changed. Ah well.

Note that yours will expire in a few months, as most do, so it will soon be water under the bridge. People tend to take infractions pretty personally, but considering that most expire, an infraction isn't that big of a deal unless a user has a habit of making bad posts a lot. We have many users with more than a dozen separate infractions who manage to acrue them at a slow enough rate as to avoid being banned.

I see myself as being harsher than the average mentor when it comes to issuing infractions exactly because I don't see them as that big of a deal for the reason above - and I don't care about offending people. But I also tell it like I see it in my PM's attached to infractions. If I think someone's a perpetual offender or I think they've done something bad enough to be right on the edge of being banned, I make it known.

 

[Moonbear]

How serious are the number of points in an infraction? Is 1-4 minor, 5-7 medium, and 8-10 major? How does that work out? In other words, how do you decide how many points to hand out?

I think you have a decent grasp on the relative value of points assigned to infractions. At least when I was a mentor, other than spammers who were banned immediately, even fairly serious infractions gave members two chances before a temporary ban on the third violation. And a lot of first "offenses" were given 0-point warnings with a link to the rules under the assumption that a lot of people just don't read the rules carefully before starting to post and just need to be told once that the rules are there and there really is an expectation that they will be followed.

 

[Cyrus]

My infractions list has 4 pages of next. Beat that, bird brain.

 

[rootX]

Am I the only person around here who got an infraction and agrees with the mentors that my post was in violation of the guidelines, and should have been removed?

Four infractions and that happened three times but I only apologized once for posting a bad joke. Only time I objected was when I was given infraction for making fun of catapulting a squirrel, come on that was just a squirrel ! But I gave in after two protests to the mentor. I think most of the times it is just common sense and you do not need to refer to the forum guidelines.

 

[Office_Shredder]

I've only gotten a single 0 point infraction, and it was reversed after appealing to the moderator

I need that clean rap sheet when I try to run for president of course

 

[HeLiXe]

Beat that, bird brain.

I sense another infraction coming on...

On another note, office shredder is a really cool username.

 

[HeLiXe]

and I don't care about offending people.

tsk tsk...BIG telescope, tiny heart.

 

[HeLiXe]

Anyways I had no idea about the whole infraction system, and I read the rules before I agreed to them...so I'm happy this thread was started!

 

[Phrak]

So negative.

At the beginning of the game you get 10 men. These are free at the beginning of the game. If you get defeated by a monster you have to survive a determined amount of time to to get more one-ups.

If you're not using your one-ups by taking on the challenges, you're probably not playing your best game.

So far, Cyrus is the all time champion of one-up budgeting, having been defeated only once and resurrected by playing the get-out-of-jail free card.

 

[Saladsamurai]

In the 3 years I have been here, I have only received one zero - point infraction. I was quite surprised to see that it was zero points. Some new guy called me stupid because i was having trouble with an Epsilon - Delta proof. I called him names and referred to parts of his mother's body in a way that would make a roofer blush. I was surprised that it did not amount to any points.

 

[Evo]

In the 3 years I have been here, I have only received one zero - point infraction. I was quite surprised to see that it was zero points. Some new guy called me stupid because i was having trouble with an Epsilon - Delta proof. I called him names and referred to parts of his mother's body in a way that would make a roofer blush. I was surprised that it did not amount to any points.

We take things into consideration such as a members previous posting history, if the member was provoked, etc... Also, the mentor may have hit a zero point warning by mistake.

 

[Pengwuino]

My infractions list has 4 pages of next. Beat that, bird brain.

Pics or GTFO.

 

[HeLiXe]

I called him names and referred to parts of his mother's body in a way that would make a roofer blush.